SBIRS satellite in thermal vacuum tests

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 16 (UPI) -- Thermal vacuum testing of the U.S. Air Force's second Space Based Infrared System geosynchronous satellite has been completed by Lockheed Martin.

The company said the SBIRS GEO-2 was put through extreme hot and cold temperatures to verify its functionality and performance. The thermal vacuum testing was the last of environmental test phases validating satellite design and survivability in orbit.

"The GEO-2 team has done a tremendous job in utilizing lessons learned from GEO-1 in order to streamline the GEO-2 test schedule and deliver this essential asset to the user as quickly as possible," said Air Force Col. Troy Brashear, the SBIRS Engineering and Manufacturing Development Program manager.

"The SBIRS government and industry team understands the importance of the SBIRS mission and is committed to delivering this spacecraft efficiently to provide life-saving capabilities to the warfighters."

Lockheed Martin said that, with the completion of thermal vacuum testing, it will conduct final factory work on the satellite and conduct integrated spacecraft and system testing.

"With the completion of environmental testing on GEO-2, the government and industry team is well positioned to deliver this vital spacecraft for launch," said Dave Sheridan, Lockheed Martin's SBIRS deputy program director.

"As we continue building dedicated SBIRS satellites and hosted payloads, we are committed to driving even greater efficiency and affordability into the program while delivering maximum value to the government."

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today’s UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI when after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.